1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to the field of portable cleaning containers, and more particularly to portable cleaning containers having foot activated drain means.
2. The Prior Art
The use of portable cleaning containers including bucket like containers in connection with various activities including mopping floors is well known in the art. Typically such containers consist of a bucket like container, having wheels secured to the container thereby allowing the container to easily move across various surfaces. However, in order to empty these portable cleaning containers, most of the containers must be actually lifted by the user and the contents emptied into a sink or other receptacle containing a drain. Since a portable cleaning container is generally very bulky and cumbersome to lift even when it is empty, it is understandable why a cleaning container, filled with cleaning solution, is extremely difficult to lift and empty. There have been attempts made to design portable cleaning containers which assist the user in emptying the cleaning container. For example, some containers include a drain opening and stopper disposed in the side or bottom wall of the cleaning container, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,668. This feature allows the user to move the cleaning container adjacent a floor drain, and by removing the stopper from the drain opening the cleaning container may be easily emptied. There are disadvantages with this particular design since the user has to physically remove the stopper by hand in order to empty the cleaning container. In addition, if the drain opening is located within the cleaning container interior, the user will be required to insert at least one of their hands into the dirty cleaning solution in order to remove the stopper from the drain opening.
Other cleaning containers have included drain means and a stopper disposed in the container bottom wall, whereby the user can control the movement of the stopper by hand activated controls, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,815,160 and 4,908,904. While this embodiment allows the user to open the drain means without having to directly contact the cleaning liquid, there are limitations with design as well. Specifically, this container design also requires that the user have at least one, and perhaps both hands free, to control the hand activated knob which subsequently opens or closes the drain means. Thus, this requirement limits the user's ability to perform other tasks with their hands at the same time it is desirable to empty the cleaning container.